The present invention relates to a connector surface-mounted on a circuit board of a personal computer or the like, and a method of manufacturing the same.
A connector surface-mounted on a circuit board S of a personal computer or the like is structured, as shown in FIG. 6(a), such that plural pairs of upper and lower contacts 23 are arranged in a width direction in a case 22, and are arranged so that terminal parts 27a of upper contacts 23a and terminal parts 27b of lower contacts 23b alternately form one line on a rear surface of the case 22. The conventional contact 23 employed in the connector 21 mentioned above is provided with terminal parts 27 surface-mounted on contact portions 24 being in contact with a contacted portion (not shown) of a connector in a side to be connected and the circuit board S, connection parts 26 for connecting the contact portions 24 and the terminal parts 27, and insert portions 25 inserted to the case 22, as shown in FIG. 6(b). Further, the contact 23 is structured such that the terminal parts 27 and the connection parts 26 are offset in a width direction with respect to the contact portions 24 so that the terminal parts 27 are arranged in one line, and the connection parts 26 are bent downward or upward, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(c).
However, since the width of the contact 23 is increased in the width direction at an amount of offset when the contact 23 is offset, there is a disadvantage that a lot of disuse portions are generated in a metal plate in the case of punching the contact 23 from the metal plate on the basis of a press metal mold. Further, in the case of assembling the contact 23 in the case 22 by an automatic assembling apparatus, it is necessary to align the scattered contacts 23 in a predetermined direction so as to assemble in the case 22, so that since it is necessary to align the direction of the offset, there is a disadvantage that the apparatus becomes complex.
An object of the present invention is to improve a connector, and more particularly to provide a connector for surface mounting capable of forming a contact without offsetting so as to assemble in a case in order to solve the disadvantage mentioned above.
In order to achieve the object mentioned above, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a connector for surface mounting comprises a case formed by an insulating body, contacts formed by a conductive body and in which a contact portion being in contact with a contacted portion of a connector to be connected is provided in a forward portion and a terminal part being surface-mounted on a circuit board is provided in a rearward portion, the contacts being arranged so as to extend through the case and form a pair of upper and lower contacts and a plurality of parallel lines in a width direction, and terminal parts of the upper contacts and terminal parts of the lower contacts being alternately arranged so as to form one line, characterized in that a connection part for connecting the contact portions and the terminal parts is formed in a cylindrical shape and obliquely bent in a predetermined direction, and the terminal parts of the upper contacts and the terminal parts of the lower contacts are alternately arranged so as to form one line.
Further, in order to achieve the object mentioned above, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a connector for surface mounting, the connector comprising a case formed by an insulating body, contacts formed by a conductive body and having a contact portion being in contact with a contacted portion of a connector to be connected in a forward portion, a terminal part being surface-mounted on a circuit board in a rearward portion, and an inserted portion inserted to the case, the contacts being arranged so as to extend through the case, be held by the inserted portion and form a pair of upper and lower contacts and a plurality of parallel lines in a width direction, and terminal parts of the upper contacts and terminal parts of the lower contacts being alternately arranged so as to form one line, characterized by the steps of punching a metal plate so as to form a rectangular columnar contact, press molding the rectangular columnar contact so as to form a connection part for connecting the inserted portion and the terminal part in a cylindrical shape, attaching the contacts formed in the straight line shape to the case so as to form a pair of upper and lower contacts, and obliquely bending the connection part in a width direction and a vertical direction in a state of holding the terminal part horizontally so as to alternately arrange the terminal parts of the upper contacts and the terminal parts of the lower contacts in one line.
Since the connection part is formed in the cylindrical shape, it is possible to obliquely bend as is different from the conventional rectangular connection part. Accordingly, in the connector for surface mounting and the manufacturing method thereof in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to alternately arrange the terminal parts of the upper contacts and the terminal parts of the lower contacts in one line by forming the contacts without offsetting, assembling in the case and thereafter bending the connection part. Accordingly, since it is not necessary to previously offset as in the conventional structure at a time of forming the contacts, it is possible to reduce a disuse portion in the metal plate corresponding to the material for the contacts. Further since it is not necessary to take the offset of the contacts into consideration at a time of previously assembling the contacts in the case by the automatic assembling apparatus, it is possible to make the apparatus simple.